The USCG Is “Intimidating”?!

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Heidi Slowssar crouched on her hands and knees Sunday evening deflating a large floating device near Marysville’s Chrysler Beach. The 35-year-old had just spent the past six hours or so floating from Lighthouse Beach in Port Huron to that point and “had a blast.”

“People were afraid to do it,” she said, referring to warnings from public safety officials not to participate in the event. “But it was still a good time.”

Despite what some termed “intimidation” by the U.S. Coast Guard leading up the event, the Port Huron Float Down — which lasted at least eight hours Sunday — ended with no major injuries or problems.

“I think there was a lot of intimidation,” said Maggie Bennett, 64, of Kimball Township. But once out on the water, she said the officials were professionals and kind.

“I think the Coast Guard was amazing,” she said.

Officials and participants said far fewer people participated compared with last year when an estimated 6,000 took part in the event.

Port Huron Fire Chief Bob Eick said he guessed — emphasizing a guess — that about 1,000 people or more participated this year. Just as many if not more people watched from the western bank of the St. Clair River, lining the waterway from the Blue Water Bridge to Marysville.

But even though this year’s event was “unofficial” — because there was no organizer — public safety officials were well organized.

Eick said 11 area public safety groups — Port Huron police and fire, St. Clair County Sheriff, U.S. Coast Guard and St. Clair Fire, to name a few — had resources on the water. In a meeting before the event, Eick said the U.S. Coast Guard commander had ordered the international shipping lane closed from noon to 5 p.m.

The Coast Guard also set up a safety zone on the river from north of the Blue Water Bridge to Chrysler Beach in Marysville. In that zone, only officials’ boats and floaters were allowed in the American side of the river. All power boats had to travel on the Canadian, or east, side of the river, Eick said.

He added later: “The community should be proud of that.”

Eick said the first people to leave on the float down left at about 11:30 a.m. But most went off at about 1 p.m., which was advertised on Facebook as the start of the event.

“It’s fun, it’s enjoyable, and we’re lucky to live in Port Huron on the water,” she said.

Smeltzer said she understood the risks involved with the river and that participants just needed to make sure they were prepared and physically able to handle the float. She left the alcohol at home and brought just a protein shake and carrot juice to charge her up before it.

Other people made the beach into more of a party scene, with cases of beer being hauled to the edge of Lake Huron.

Floaters brought an interesting mix of flotation devices: from air mattresses and large rafts with space for six to small inner tubes and kayaks.

There was no official announcement at the start time, but dozens of people headed to the beach at the unofficial start time.

Max Cook, 55, of Port Huron sat on a picnic table in the shade of a tree as the Float Down revelers prepared for take off.

He said he came out to see if the Coast Guard was going to stop the floaters and watch everyone having fun. Cook said the city should cash in on events such as the Float Down with the assets of the lake and river.

“I think it’s good they should do more stuff like this in Port Huron,” he said. “They have all the water; they don’t use it like they should.”